La Coupole
Cafés have long been the social,
intellectual, and artistic center of Paris. Found on just about every street of
the capital, these establishments have seen a reduction in patronage in recent
years but many of them have a long, colorful history. At the beginning of the last century
the fashionable patrons gradually switched their allegiance from Montmartre in the north to southern
spots along the bustling boulevard du Montparnasse. Many of the larger cafés—Le Dôme, La Rotonde, and Le Select—are
attracting crowds of locals and tourists even today. Another longtime favorite in
the same area is La Coupole.
The proprietors, former managers of Le Dôme, were no fools, setting up their location just down the street. When it was time to choose a name for their
new 600-seat brasserie, they also picked a synonym for “dome” to attract
clients. Even more clever, for the grand opening in December 1927 they invited
a thousand or so people to come and enjoy free appetizers and champagne—1500 bottles
of the bubbly as a matter of fact! The party was a wild success, going on till the
police broke it up at 5:00 in the morning.
An Art Deco masterpiece, the Coupole’s
sleek, rectangular interior pillars were decorated by artists of the day. One
of the columns commemorates ostrich-plumed American performer Josephine Baker
who dined there with her lover, mystery writer Georges Simenon. Clientele over
the years included artists Picasso and Man Ray, writers Hemingway, Henry Miller,
Sartre and Beauvoir (pictured), as well as The Doors lead singer Jim Morrison. Albert
Camus supposedly celebrated his Nobel Prize for Literature here in 1957.
Located at 102, boulevard du
Montparnasse in the 14th, La
Coupole was refurbished to its original glory in 1988. Visitors can drop in
from 8:30 a.m. till midnight everyday. And I plan on doing just that the next time travels bring me to Paris.
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